This is a guide for librarians who need to make an immediate response to a disaster or to formulate a plan and take preventive measures. The more common disasters of fires, storms, floods, construction accidents, power failures, and earthquakes which cause water damage, fire damage, or biopredation are the main consideration here. The manual discusses disaster prevention, from evaluating and upgrading the physical plant to assessment of collections, emphasizing storage. A step-by-step outline of what to include in a disaster plan covers personnel training, the availability of outside expertise and a checklist of sources and suppplies. The final chapters focus on disaster recovery and beyond, including insurance, treatment of damaged materials in various formats, and a discussion of new building ideas from a disaster prevention/recovery perspective.

This important book assesses the current state of disaster management in archives, libraries and museums in the UK and around the world, and provides recommendations for addressing current and future threats. Following an introductory outline of the topic and terminology, the authors provide a short history of the development of disaster management in the cultural heritage sector. They illustrate a basic framework for effective disaster management by reviewing disaster control plan practice from around the world. Through examining and identify the key issues affecting disaster management in archives, libraries and museums, the authors discuss a priority structure for future implementation. This book will be key reading for scholars and students of archive studies, library and information and museum management. It will also be extremely useful for professionals and policy makers involved in disaster management planning at a local and national level.

Fire, flood, earthquake, vandalism, a terrorist attack--the issues of safety measures, emergency response, and disaster recovery have now become an important part of the planning strategies for most organizations. For the information organization, such as a library, archives, or record center, this responsibility has taken on new dimensions with the proliferation of various forms of electronic media. The authors take the approach that disaster recovery planning must touch every department of an organization and that emergency response must be a carefully mapped strategy. This broad-based approach to "integrated disaster planning" explains each phase of disaster planning, with chapters covering prevention planning, protection planning, preparedness planning, response planning, and recovery planning. The authors consider collections, records, facilities, and systems and include a chapter on post-disaster planning as well. The authors also cover federal and local assistance programs and list other sources for financial assistance. Although the main thrust of the book is the protection of documents, human safety in case of disaster is stressed explicitly and implicitly throughout. Indispensible for every information organization.

Libraries have always played a special role in times of disaster by continuing to provide crucial information and services.

Preparado para el Programa General de Informacion y el Unisist.